Today has been by far the most difficult day I've had since beginning NS. I'm sure it had nothing to do with NS at all. I had a 100% day on plan with my meals. But I realized during my first set of exercises at the gym that I was TIRED. It was downhill from that moment on. I managed to grind out my workout, cardio at the gym, completed my work for the day, and even a good paced walk with Kim this evening, but I've felt weak, spent, and sluggish the entire day. I had a little trouble going to sleep last night, so I read until after 1 AM. Unfortunately I had to be up early (5:30 AM) this morning and I think the change in my sleeping routine did me in today. I typically get about 8 hours of sleep each night (I know, I'm lucky). I plan on sleeping WELL tonight and having a better day tomorrow.
My Monday workouts are typically hard, but not draining like a leg day. I train chest on Mondays and usually get in somewhere between 15-18 sets. I had to train in a different order (someone was on the bench I wanted to start with) which isn't a bad thing & I had been planning to alter my workout somewhat to try to get some muscle confusion involved and break through the sticking point I'm at with regards to reps and amount of weight I've been using on each exercise. So I got to implement the muscle confusion without really preparing for it. I started my workout with 3 sets of decline hammer strength presses and as I lifted the weights for my first work set (the warm up set was light and seemed quite normal) I actually looked in the mirror to make sure no one had loaded more weights without me realizing it. At the end of my pressing porting of a chest workout I usually decline press around 320#'s for sets of 12 and increase the weight slightly each set. This was the beginning of the workout and I only had about 270 loaded and it felt like an elephant had jumped on and I was trying to press it. I managed 15 reps the first set, but it was UGLY. I added a small amount for my second set and completed 12 reps, again they were nothing to write home about. My 3rd set I barely managed 10 reps. Sad. Incline presses followed and I barely pressed 200#'s. I usually start with incline and press over 270 for each set. Following incline presses I limped through 3 sets of incline flies, again the entire exercise was weak. I finished my workout with 3 sets of a machine flat bench press, which ended up being the weakest, most pathetic looking exercise I've done in years. 3 sets, none above 200#'s, each set with less weight and less reps. Exactly the opposite of the way I typically train. I've always prided myself by being relatively STRONGER as a workout progresses. Not today. I felt as weak and as ineffective as I ever have while training. After finishing the workout I climbed on a treadmill, set the incline to 12.3 and speed at 3.8 and walked for 35 minutes. It was just as terrible as the workout. I kept checking the timer on the treadmill to see how much longer was left. TIME STOOD STILL. I didn't think I'd ever finish. 7 hours later (that's how it felt) my 35 minutes ended and I crawled to the car to go home. What a terrible workout! (Now that I'm about to post this a day later, my chest is already wrecked sore, so I evidently had a decent workout.) Late last night Kim and I walked Jumping Jack Flash around the lake for 2 miles (in the wet, muddy, dark, late GA evening). I've been doing so much walking my hip flexors are staying SORE. I'm gonna have to find a stretching routine to use before and after my cardio workouts.
Meals were again easy and good. For breakfast I had the lowfat granola cereal with raspberries, facon, and a slice of whole wheat bread. My morning snack was yogurt with grapes. Lunch was a salad with spinach & peppers, along with cheese tortellini. My afternoon snack was a chocolate chip cookie. Dinner was a sourdough pizza with turkey pepperoni, 2 servings of spaghetti squash, a salad with spinach & peppers & olives, along with a slice of whole wheat bread. My dessert was one of my favorites which I'd been saving, the chocolate crunch bar! It almost makes me think I'm eating a Nestle's Crunch Bar.Looking forward to a restful night and a better, stronger day tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment